——————————————————————————–
—Description—The plant grows to height of about 7 feet and in spring and early summer contains a milky juice. It is visited by numbers of beetles which puncture the stem and thus cause an exudation, part of which dries on the stem, the rest falling to the ground where it becomes mixed with stones and other impurities found in the gum collected by the natives. The gum resin is found in special cavities in the tissues of the stem, root and petioles of the leaves. The name of the drug is said to be derived from the Temple of Jupiter Ammon in the Libyan Desert where it was collected by the ancients. The gum resin occurs in commerce in two forms, tear ammoniacum and lump or block ammoniacum. The former alone is official in England and consists of pale yellow nodular masses varying in size from a pea to a walnut, brittle when cold but softens on warming, fractured surface, milky white or pale brown in colour. The lump ammoniacum, which is that collected from the ground, is used sometimes but is not official in medicine. The odour of the drug is slight, taste acrid and persistent.
—Constituents—The drug contains volatile oil resin and gum. The resin consists of an indifferent resene associated with ammoresinotannol combined with salicylic acid.

—Medicinal Action and Uses—Taken internally, it acts by facilitating expectoration and is of value in chronic bronchitis, especially in the aged when the secretion is tough and viscid. The resin has a mild diuretic action. It is antispasmodic and stimulant and is given sometimes as a diaphoretic and emmenagogue, used as a plaster for white swellings of the joints and for indolent tumours. Its use is of great antiquity and is mentioned by Hippocrates.

—Other Species—African Ammoniacum or ‘feshook,’ from Ferula Communis is not a commercial article. The Mahommedans use if for incense; this variety grows well in the author’s garden at Chalfont St. Peter.

About Fuchi: This Goddess gave her name to the sacred volcano
Fujiyama. As a Fire Goddess, she rules natural energy ( heat )
sources, and also those generated in our hearths, homes, and
hearts. This energy, along with summer’s Sun, joins together in our
life today, generating strength, endurance, keen vision and
relationships filled with genuine warmth.

To Do Today: July and August mark the climbing season at Mount
Fuji. For most people, attempting this is a pilgrimage of sorts
dedicated to “climbing the mountain because it’s there.” On a deeper
level, however, the mountain houses the deities of Shinto tradition,
challenging all who dare visit to stretch their limits and do their very
best. While most of us can’t go to Japan to visit the goddess in her
abode, we can climb stairs to help us reconnect with Fuchi’s uplifting
powers. Today, instead of using elevators, climb stairs whenever and
wherever possible. As you do, visualize the area(s) in your life that
could use a boost from Fuchi’s energy, those areas that really challenge
you somehow or those where emotional warmth seems lacking. When you
reach for the top, claim your reward with some type of affirmation (
such as I am strong, I am loving ), and then act on this change with
conviction!

from 365 Goddess – A Daily Guide of the Magick and Inspiration of the
Goddess
by Patricia Telesco

Goddess Meditation

Circe
Then we met the magician Circe. Lions and mountain wolves walked
peacefully with her, enchanted by her presence. They came up to the
sailors, tails wagging, making friendly gestures, fawning like dogs do
when their owners return home from dining our, fawning like
dogs do when they hope for treats; so these wild animals acted, animals
with claws and fangs, in the presence of
this enchantress.
~ Homer, The Odyssey

Like may other powerful ancient Goddesses, the Greek divinity Circe was
later demonized, turned into a figure that evoked fear and distrust.
Originally, Circe was a sun Goddess, at home on her bright island whose
circular shape was that of the solar sphere – an image echoed in her
name as well. But as newcomers to her lands rejected the feminine power
she embodied, Circe was demoted to a voluptuous temptress-Witch who
threatened wandering Ulysses. Yet her original power was never utterly
lost; it shines through the words of ancient poets like Homer.

Women today can be similarly demonized for showing strength or passion
or will or drive. But as the above description of Circe shows, the
natural world is not threatened by women’s powers. If no harm comes from
what we do, why should we thwart our natural energies? There will always
be those who try to diminish us. And we internalize their voices so that
we forgot who we are. In figures like Circe, we find hints of woman’s
power.

from The Goddess Companion – Daily Meditations on the Feminine Spirit
by Patricia Monaghan

Adapted from Start Now! A Book of Soul and Spiritual Exercises by Rudolph Steiner Steiner Books, 2004

After a busy, often stressful day, we often need something nourishing to the soul–rather than the psychic drain of television–to calm us down and prepare us for restful sleep.

Try reading this simple, beautiful meditation by the great teacher and visionary Rudolph Steiner before you go to bed at night, or any time you need to feel more serene. It is the perfect way to unwind after a busy day, offering a deep affirmation that will bring peace to your whole being.

“I will be I will live I will rest I will find myself In the world’s soul In the world’s spirit In the world’s divinity.”

Copyright: Adapted from Start Now! A Book of Soul and Spiritual Exercises by Rudolph Steiner Steiner Books, 2004 Copyright (c) 2004 by Steiner Books. Reprinted by permission of Steiner Books.

**Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

Preheat oven to 425. Measure dry ingredients and mix with a fork in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening until mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Add milk and mix it into the flour with the fork – but only until the mixture will form a soft ball. Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it 12 times. Rub some flour onto the rolling pin and roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. With the large biscuit cutter cut circles, very close together, in the dough. With a spatula, lift half the circles, one at a time, onto a cookie sheet. Arrange them about 1 inch apart. With the small cutter, cut a hole in the rest of the circles to make rings, and lift out the centers with the spatula. Set these little centers aside (See note). With the spatula place the rings on top of the large circles. Put a teaspoonful of jam or jelly on the middle of each ring. Bake biscuits 12 – 15 minutes, or until puffed and slightly golden. Remove immediately from cookie sheet.

Note: When we made these, we didn’t make a two layer cookie as described. We used the large cookie cutter and a much smaller frosting tip to make a small hole. The first time the jam used baked out the bottom. The second time Julie used the small cut-outs and plugged the small holes enough to make a well in the middle. The jam stayed in place quite nicely.

Making a basic wand is cheap and quite easy. It’s best to make your own to have it as charged as possible with your own energy. Now, if you’re lucky enough to have a teacher, you may want to wait and see what your teacher says. Sometimes they do a “passing of the wand” when you “graduate” from their lessons. Otherwise, a wand is a very powerful, very useful, and very personal tool to have. This is why I don’t recommend going out and buying a wand as your first tool. Buy one later if you wish, but here are some instructions for making a working wand.

The first thing you need is some sort of rod. Driftwood is choice because it is tough, the bark is already gone, and it is worn smooth. Make sure it’s sturdy, though. The wrong piece can shatter. If you have no access to driftwood and aren’t planning a Spring Break at the beach before the time you want to have a wand, look for a branch. Sometimes campuses have their trees and bushes trimmed and they leave the branches lying around for someone to pick up. Look for a relatively straight branch about the width of your forefinger or thumb and about 12 to 18 inches long (Some traditions call for a wand of 21 inches). These branches are already cut for you and you only have to finish trimming it to a proper length and trim off twigs. If you can’t find one of these, I suggest buying a dowel rod or a piece of copper tubing at an art department on campus or arts and crafts store such as Hungates. I don’t suggest trying to trim a bush or tree yourself on campus to get a branch—many campuses don’t like having their property defaced by those not belonging to a lawn care service. Fallen branches are fair game, but they may be too weak or rotted. The greener the branch, the better. Salute the tree, give thanks by saying a small prayer, or anything similar to let the tree know that the branch will be put to good use. You should also leave a bit of cake or some treat for the elementals who have been displaced from that branch in their tree. (Faeries like ginger! A ginger snap cookie can be a simple gift.)

A rod alone, properly prepared spiritually, can be a powerful tool on its own. But decorations make the wand powerful, beautiful, and personal. One of the best beginning decorations is to wrap the wand. You can use anything from silver wire, to leather cord, to silk ribbon. It’s best to wrap tightly at each end with a loose wind through the middle of the wand. Wire is good if you don’t mind having metal in your circle (I keep as much metal out so it doesn’t disrupt the electromagnetic fields), yet silk is a good insulator. My wands are wrapped with black cord—one suede lanyard lacing and the other waxed cord. Black is a common color to use since it is a blend of all colors. You can fix your wrapping, cord or ribbon, with superglue. You may also wish to save some cord if you wish to dangle a few charms from the handle.

The next common object on a wand is to have a crystal point. These are used to focus energy. You may have to hollow out the tip of the wand so the crystal can sit inside. Superglue or hot glue can also hold the crystal in, and then wrap the wand with your cord. This will all depend on the size of the crystal to the shape of the wand. Try to find a crystal that’s proportional. You should be able to find a good quartz point at a museum or The Nature Company. Mine was from a pendant that I found in the beads section at Michael’s craft stores.

Along the middle of the wand, you may want to fix some small tumbled stones or beads. I put mine in the order of the chakras. When choosing stones, even when choosing your crystal point, it’s usually best to go by the energy in the stone than it’s beauty. Hold the stone in the palm of your hand—if your hand tingles, the stone usually has good energy. The stone will NOT always make a tingle or heat in your hand, so keep testing stones and go by your intuition. When in doubt, close your eyes and choose! Always consider the size of the stone to the size of the wand. You can attach them with superglue and they usually stay.

Finally, before you wrap your wand, you may want to have some small charms hanging from the handle or hilt of the wand. You can find crescent moon and star shaped tumbled stones in beads sections of stores. Hematite is a good grounding stone, and small silver or mother-of-pearl beads set the hematite off nicely. You may instead choose to have cords with white, red, and black beads to represent the Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Make sure your charms have meaning, though! You can also use wooden or other beads as well. Anything natural is best. Also try to attach feathers or shells or anything else that’s small and able to string or glue onto the end of a cord. Keep the cords small, though—if they are too long they will become a hassle when you cast your circle because they will bang against your wrist.

Once you are done at the store, gather your materials and prepare to assemble. (You can eliminate any steps that you don’t plan to do.) First you want to prepare your branch. If you chose a live branch, Gardnerian tradition states that you should let it live in, or soak, for three days in the simple condensor (Strong chamomile tea). The branch should then be peeled of all bark and sanded smooth. You may also want to keep some of the condensor to “baste” onto the branch after it has been stripped. If you have chosen a piece of driftwood, dowel rod, or copper tubing, you may wish to brush on some of the simple condensor and then let it dry again. This is an optional step! Make your wand as your tradition dictates. Eclectic witches use anything that feels right, so this is a step that felt right to me.

Next, hollow out the tip of the wand for your crystal. Keep checking to see if the crystal will fit and work at it until it does. You can use a pocket knife or an X-acto knife for this. The wood pulp inside of branched is usually pretty soft. Don’t glue in your crystal yet, though! Save it until before you wrap.

Then measure lengths of cords if you want them for charms, beads, shells, feathers, etc. to hang from the hilt. Do not attach the beads yet—you may wish to trim the cord later. Glue about ¼ inch of the cords onto the hilt and let the rest hang down. You will wrap down to the end of the hilt, so don’t worry what it looks like yet.

After the glue is dried for the cords, glue in the crystal. You will wrap a little around the base of the crystal as well to give it better support, hold it in, and make the wand look cleaner. Now you should be ready to wrap.

How much cord you need depends on its thickness and the length of your wand. You may need as much as 3 to 4 yards! Begin by laying about an inch of cord against the tip of the wand that bridges the wand tip and the crystal. Turn the wand clockwise and wrap the cord tightly (so the cord lays against itself) for about an inch or so to cover the tail and tuck it in. Then widen the wrap down the rest of the length of the wand. Have about inch-wide spaces between the coils. Make sure you are wrapping all the way to the end over the pieces of cord fringes (for the charms). When you get to the end you tight-wrap again back up the wand, over some of the wide wrap to make a handle with a spiral grip. Wrap as much as comfortable to your hand. Doing the handle in this way secures the wide wrapped cord. When you have a handle that is comfortable, hold down the cord where you want it to stop and snip off the excess with scissors. Tuck it as best as you can underneath another coil and secure with glue. If the wrap doesn’t feel right to you, you can re-wrap before cutting or gluing. It may take a little practice, but wrapping the cord this way also makes it similar to making an electromagnet.

Once your wand is wrapped, you can glue on the stones or string beads, etc. to the cord fringes as you please. Make sure whatever you put on has some sort of meaning. You may want to do moon phases, life stages, elements, chakras, or anything else you can come up with. Use your imagination!

The final step in actually making your wand is this: carve or burn your initials or magickal name into the wand. Carving is easier, in my opinion. You should use a script such as the Futhark Runes, the Ogham Tree Alphabet, or the Theban Alphabet. There are also other types of alphabets. A book called “The Magician’s Primer” has a good listing of these and other scripts, as does Buckland’s “The Complete Guide to Witchcraft” and the books by Silver Ravenwolf.

Once your wand is made, it’s time to consecrate it. You have been charging it with your creative energy as you made it. Cleanse it by the elements by passing it through incense smoke for air and fire, and into salted water for water and earth. Then leave the wand outside or on your windowsill in the moonlight of a full moon. Make sure no one can disturb it. Touch the wand often. It should now be ready for use.
While the wand is a powerful tool, remember the power is not in the wand itself, but in YOU. You put the energy into it. You do not need a wand to cast a circle, it is merely a mental crutch to help you focus. Practice with your wand but always remember that you can work just as well without it.

Copyright Info

I love to share and all of the artwork on this blog is created by me, unless otherwise noted. I do ask that you do not copy or recreate any of the posted artwork here for contest submissions, publication, or profit. I will be extremely flattered if something here inspires you to create for your own personal use, but please give me credit and/or link to my blog. I appreciate your stopping by, and thanks for your understanding!